Liese is finally
moving on with Frey by her side. But sometimes letting go is the hardest part,
and trusting is a risk one has to take. In between her practicum and spending
time with Frey whenever he is town, she fights her insecurities, and wins. Then
something happens and Frey's priorities momentarily shift, making her second
guess their relationship. Suddenly, going back to their former best friends
status has never looked so appealing.

Frey's
life has never shined so bright now that Liese is his. But there is a part of
him that is shrouded by memories he'd rather have them buried where no one can
touch them. Not even him. But even buried memories and people can't
stay hidden for forever. What Liese doesn't know is that Frey isn't about to
let go so easily, and he will throw in everything he's got to stop her from
leaving him. He has waited an eternity for her. Giving her up is not an option.

I loved the first book in this series, Truly.Madly.Deeply.You, but Holding on Forever was even better, going into greater depth and offering a fuller, more realistic view of Frey and Liese's relationship. If the first book was the story of two friends finally admitting they feel more than friendship for each other, than the second book was a test of whether their newfound relationship could survive the trials of their pasts and presents.

In the first book, we got a lot of insight into Liese's tragic past, with the loss of her husband and unborn child three years earlier. In this book, we learn more about Frey; I actually think his past is even more heartbreaking than Liese's, since his losses extend so far back into his childhood and have really shaped the person he's become. Even when Frey receives some unexpected and wonderful news about his family, the impact of that change has its own difficult repercussions. I really came to care about Frey and want him to find happiness and security with Liese in this novel.

Liese is still dealing with her own losses in this novel, and there's an especially tense moment when she and Frey run into her former husband's mother that had my heart racing. This encounter was believably ugly and painful, and I also liked the way the author eventually resolved it.

Holding on Forever covers a much longer time span than the first novella; Frey and Liese have fights, struggle with the demands of their jobs, and sometimes go way too long without seeing each other. All these setbacks make their love more believable and ultimately more satisfying. We also get a richer view of the secondary characters in this installment, including the couple's friends Ria and Liam, and Liese's parents. Her dad was hilarious! I also really enjoy the Vienna setting of these novellas; while it isn't essential to the story, it adds another layer of interest.

Overall, Holding on Forever is a very satisfying conclusion to Liese and Frey's story. Although I have a feeling we might see a cameo from them if Liam and Ria get their own well-deserved story!

Cecilia Robert writes YA, NA
and Adult. Her motto: Passion rules. She enjoys writing stories about people
finding love in the most unexpected of places, and also about people finding
their true purpose in life coupled with adventurous journeys, whether it's
urban, fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary or paranormal romance. There's always a
happy ever after, no matter how long it takes for the characters to get there.
When she's not working in her full time job, she dons her supermom cape, or in
most cases find herself trapped between the pages of a book in search for a
hero who'll make her swoon with just a look or a word. Her favourite form of
therapy is knitting. Best. Therapy. Ever.

Grab My Button

Book Links

About Me

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.